Pre-Conference Tour (14th-16th July)

Social Program activity announced

17 February 2013

This tour will start from Lisbon on July 14th, going North through some of the most traditional regions of Portugal. This will allow another option for delegates who fly to Lisbon, and wish make a longer and more leisurely travel to the conference site in Porto, 300kms to the North of Lisbon.

The pre-conference tour will start at 9.30 am, 14th July in Lisbon and will end in Porto, 16th July at 7 p.m. However, even if you are planning to arrive only on the 14th July you are welcome to join the tour as there will be transport options available for those who wish to join during this day.

The 1st day of the tour will be dedicated to visiting Lisbon and its surroundings, before starting traveling to the North. Some of the highlights of the tour include visits to the walled city of Óbidos which is famous for its narrow streets, its imposing castle and its bitter cherry liquor (Ginjinha), traditionally served in chocolate cups; Alcobaça, home to one of the most famous monasteries in Portugal, a masterpiece of the Gothic style recognized as UNESCO World Heritage site and Fátima, a very popular pilgrimage site, since the apparition of the Virgin Mary to three shepherds in 1917. Since then it has been constantly the site for bi-annual pilgrimages by believers as well as being visited many times by popes (most notably Pope John Paul II, who had a close connection to Fátima).

The tour will also include a visit to Coimbra, 3rd city of Portugal that is known as the city of students and, as such, sports a lot of rituals connected to the university. These traditions are reflected in the way students dress, their songs and they influence the general atmosphere of the city. The city also has a lot of legends: the most notorious would probably be the love story of King Pedro (Peter), the 1st and Inês de Castro , a gruesome tale of love, obsession and blood.

As detailed above, this tour is also a chance to explore the past, the present and the gastronomy of a country with almost 900 years of existence.

Further details and prices will be available shortly in the Social Program section of the website.